Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

शंखमाधवतीर्थे च स्नात्वा मां शंखमाधवम् । शंखोदकेन संस्नाप्य भवेच्छंखनिधेः पतिः

Transliteration

śaṃkhamādhavatīrthe ca snātvā māṃ śaṃkhamādhavam | śaṃkhodakena saṃsnāpya bhavecchaṃkhanidheḥ patiḥ

Translation

Au Śaṅkha-Mādhava Tīrtha, après s’être baigné et M’avoir baigné—Moi, Śaṅkha-Mādhava—avec l’eau de la conque, on devient maître de trésors, tel le trésor Śaṅkha (Śaṅkha-nidhi).

Word by Word

• śaṃkhamādhavatīrthe: at the Śaṅkha-Mādhava tīrtha
• śaṃkhamādhavatīrthe: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaṃkha + mādhava + tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (śaṃkhamādhavasya tīrtham)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• snātvā: having bathed
• snātvā: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √snā (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive), ‘having bathed’

• mām: me
• mām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• śaṃkhamādhavam: Śaṅkha-Mādhava (me, by name)
• śaṃkhamādhavam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaṃkha + mādhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (śaṃkhaḥ mādhavaḥ = ‘Śaṅkha-Mādhava’ नाम)

• śaṃkhodakena: with conch-water
• śaṃkhodakena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaṃkha + udaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (śaṃkhasya udakam)

• saṃsnāpya: having bathed (me) / having performed ablution
• saṃsnāpya: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-√snā (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive causative sense), ‘having bathed/washed (someone) thoroughly’

• bhavet: would become
• bhavet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• śaṃkhanidheḥ: of the treasure of conches
• śaṃkhanidheḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaṃkha + nidhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (śaṃkhānāṃ nidhiḥ / śaṃkhasya nidhiḥ)

• patiḥ: lord / master
• patiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśī Khaṇḍa dialogues)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śaṅkha-Mādhava-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrims/recipients of phala-śruti in Kāśīkhaṇḍa

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At a Kāśī ghat, priests and devotees perform abhiṣeka to Śaṅkha-Mādhava using water poured from a conch; the conch gleams; Lakṣmī-like prosperity motifs appear subtly (coins, lotus).

Characters & Entities

• Śaṅkha-Mādhava
• Kāśī
• Tīrtha
• Śaṅkha-nidhi

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual purity (snāna) and reverent abhiṣeka at a tīrtha are linked with dharmic prosperity and divine favor.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śaṅkha-Mādhava Tīrtha in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna (bathing) at the tīrtha and abhiṣeka of the deity using śaṅkhodaka (water poured from/held in a conch).